The Boston Bruins will look to continue their torrid pace Saturday night against a Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Lightning’s Jonathan Drouin (lower body injury) is doubtful to play, and second-line center Tyler Johnson (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision, head coach Jon Cooper told reporters at morning skate.
Since opening the season 3-0-0 — including a 6-3 win over the Bruins at TD Garden — Tampa Bay has struggled, dropping each of its last three games and six of its last eight.
Boston, meanwhile, has gone 5-0-1 in its last six games, most recently earning a 3-1 road win over the Florida Panthers on Friday.
It remains unclear whether the Bruins will have fourth-line center Joonas Kemppainen (undisclosed) back for Saturday’s tilt. If Kemppainen is healthy enough to play, either Zac Rinaldo or Tyler Randell will be scratched from the lineup, according to the team.
The Bruins will start Jonas Gustavsson in net, giving usual starter Tuukka Rask a night off. Gustavsson has won both games he’s started this season.
Here are Saturday’s projected lines and pairings, as reported by the teams:
BOSTON BRUINS (5-3-1)
Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — Brett Connolly
Loui Eriksson — David Krejci — David Pastrnak
Matt Beleskey — Ryan Spooner — Jimmy Hayes
Zac Rinaldo — Chris Kelly — Tyler Randell
Zdeno Chara — Kevan Miller
Torey Krug — Adam McQuaid
Joe Morrow — Colin Miller
Jonas Gustavsson
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (5-4-2)
Alex Killorn — Steven Stamkos — Ryan Callahan
Ondrej Palat — Tyler Johnson — Nikita Kucherov
Vladislav Namestnikov — Valtteri Filppula — Erik Condra
J.T. Brown — Brian Boyle — Jonathan Marchessault
Anton Stralman — Victor Hedman
Braydon Coburn — Jason Garrison
Nikita Nesterov — Andrej Sustr
Ben Bishop
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
